Cereal companies are up to some dirty Trix when it comes to marketing to children. It’s a well-known fact that grocery stores arrange items specifically to appeal to target customers.

For instance, more expensive items are often displayed at eye level on shelves so shoppers are more likely to grab them first. Some stores have recently introduced “man aisles” that feature dude-friendly products like beer and cheese dip. Sugary cereals are generally placed lower on shelves so as to be eye-level with shorter people (i.e. kids).

But a new study discovered something even more sinister- the cartoon characters on many boxes of cereal are pictured with their eyes pointed downward, so they make eye contact with children. This is probably to blame for many a grocery store tantrum- as well as plenty of not-so-healthy purchases.